Riding In Horse-Traffic

Trouble riding among other horses can be a big problem when riding in groups at trail riding events and in warm-up arenas at competitions.

Horses that are afraid of other horses coming towards them are expressing insecurity with new herd relationships:

• They don’t know the other horses. Horses are very bonded to their herd mates, and established herds tend to reject newcomers.
• They are unsure of where they stand in the pecking order and are avoiding conflict. A dominant, horse will be trying to push the others around, whereas a submissive horse will be trying to escape.

How big is your horse’s bubble?

Some horses have a small personal space ‘bubble’, they don’t mind horses getting close to them, whereas others can have a huge one. And then there’s everything in between. By riding slowly past other horses you can test the size of the bubble. Start 20 feet away, then 15, then 12, then 10, and so on… until you find the point at which your horse shows you its limit?—?tenses up, flattens its ears, tosses head, shies away, hesitates, swishes its tail, etc.

The first thing to do is honor your horse’s limit and not get closer to another horse than that. The next thing is to start working on reducing that limit, which takes exposure and repetition, using the tips below. You can’t expect the horse to be okay if you never prepare and suddenly ride in company.

What to do: Fear or Dominance?

FEAR:

If you understand the cause is fear, it makes sense to support the horse’s feelings rather than negate them and force the horse to go forward and stay on track. This will actually cause the problem to worsen?—?the fear will escalate, and it can lead to panic and explosive reactions. Being your horse’s leader, it’s your responsibility to keep the horse safe.

1. Feel your horse’s “bubble”. As the other horse approaches, you will feel your horse start to worry. Note how far from the other horse this occurs. For particularly sensitive and insecure horses this can be quite some distance away.
2. The moment you feel it, gently use your leg to move your horse away from the oncoming horse but keep his nose tipped slightly towards it.
3. Do this every time, yielding right and left depending on where the horses are coming from. It won’t take long for your horse to realize that you are keeping him safe and he will begin to relax and trust you more. You’ll notice that his bubble getting smaller and smaller, and pretty soon he will have no bubble at all.
4. Take the time it takes. This is not something you can rush or expect the horse to overcome in just one session, but it will start to improve right away. And if you can practice this at home with friends and other horses that will help accelerate the process too.
5. Never don’t do it! Every time you ride in company, feel for your horse’s bubble. Address it right away if you feel his fear and his confidence will keep growing. But remember, the moment you discount his feelings, things can get worse again. Consistency is important, that’s how horses learn to trust their human leaders, and when they trust that you are taking care of their needs, they will relax.

DOMINANCE

If the cause is dominance, you have to prove to your horse that it is not his job when you are with him?—?you are the leader. You want to make sure your horse really does yield in these four ways:

• Backwards
• Forwards
• Right
• Left
• Sideways

Even more importantly, make sure you can ask for it NOW. QUICKLY! Just a few steps, you don’t have to go far. It’s important that you can rely on an immediate response under pressure, like when something goes wrong and your horse tries to attack another horse.

1. Ask your horse to yield away from the on-coming horse?—?it’s a bit the same as for the fearful horse, but rather than protecting its bubble, you are controlling and directing your horse as the leader.
2. Get your horse busy?—?turn away rather than going towards the other horse.
3. Make sure your horse is on the “outside” if possible, especially if going in a circle with another horse. If your horse is on the inside with another horse next to him, he will feel as though that horse is pushing him and dominating him.